Ingot mold and method of casting



Nov. 11, 1924- 1,515,319

E. H; WILLIAMS INGOT MOLD AND METHOD OF CASTING Filed Dec. 50, 1920 l 10 Min... "ML' Edward 15. iifzZ/z'amw 151% I @5 abto'vneW M Patented Nov. 11, 1924.

EDWARD H. winner/rs, or SHARON, rnnirsrnvanra, vassrenoa TO s engers & neon CORPORATION, or srmniesvintn, PENNSYLVANIA, a CORPORATION or new roan.

INGOT MOLD AND METHOD OF CASTING.

Application filed. December 30, 1920. Serial No. 433,966.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD H. lViLLIAMs, a citizen of the United States residing at Sharon, in the county of Mercer State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ingot Molds and Methods of Casting, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates broadly to metallurgy and more specially to the method and apparatus of casting steel ingots.

The principal object of the present invention is the method of casting a plurality of steel ingots in a limited floor space by arranging the ingot molds one over the other.

A further object of the present invention is the method of casting steel ingots which comprises arranging a plurality of ingot molds in a vertical stack in such manner that the molds may be supplied from a single source of supply and so that rising mold gases from lower molds withdraws mold gases from upper molds.

A still further object of the present invention is the method of casting a plurality of steel ingots by arranging a series of molds in a stack and providing for feeding the molds through one conduit and permitting the mold gases to escape through a different conduit. both of said conduits being common for all the molds.

A still further object of the present invention is the method of casting steel ingots which comprises arranging a plurality of molds in a vertical stack providing a runner column at one end of the molds and a riser column at the other end of the molds whereby the steel may feed into the molds at one end thereof and gas may rise from the molds at the opposite end thereof.

A further object of the present invention is an ingot mold comprising a body portion and means forming the top of one mold and the bottom of the next adjacent one when the molds are arranged in a vertical series and with the'sides of each mold section comprising the more effective heat radiating surfaces to cause convection currents in the steel to prevent segregation.

A still further object of the present invention is a multi-ingot mold comprising a plurality of side wall members with a plurality of horizontal divisions whereby the stack is formed with a plurality of hori zontally disposed matrix portions with means to supply molten steel to each. of said matrix portions, and, means toprovide an outlet for mold gases from each of said matrix portions.

A still further object of the present invention is a multi-ingot mold comprising a vertical stack of plurality of horizontal mold bodies with partitions between the matrix portions of the mold bodies whereby a plurality of horizontal mold matrices are provided and with a vertical runner column adapted to supply molten steel at one end of said matrices and a riser column at the other end of the said matrices to permit the escape of mold gases and with the runner and risers being sectional, with the length of a section being substantially the height of a mold unit.

A further object of the present invention is the method of casting steel ingots which comprises arranging a plurality of ingot molds in a vertical stack in such manner that the molds may be supplied from a single source of supply.

A still further object of the present in vention is the method of casting a plurality of steel ingots by arranging a series of molds in a stack and providing for feeding the molds through one conduit and permitting the mold gases to escape through a different conduit.

A still further object of the present invention is an ingot mold comprising a body portion and means forming the top of one mold and the bottom of the next adjacent one when the molds are arranged in a vertical series.

A still further object of the present invention is a multi-ingot mold comprising a vertical stack of a plurality of horizontal mold bodies with partitions between the matrix portions of the mold bodies whereby a plurality of horizontal mold matrices are provided and with a vertical runner column adapted to supply molten steel at one end of said matrices and a riser column at the other end of said 'matrices to permit the escape of mold gases.

A still further object of the present invention is a multi-ingot mold comprising a vertical stack of a plurality of horizontal mold bodies with partitions between the matrix portions of the mold bodies whereby a plurality of horizontal mold matrices are provided and with a vertical runner column adapted to supply molten steel at one end of said matrices and a riser column at the other end of said matrices to permit the escape of mold gases and with the runners and risers being sectional.

Uther and further objects of the present invention will in part be obvious and will in part be pointed out hereinafter in the specification following by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, throughout which like parts are indicated by like characters.

Realizing the present invention may be embodied in constructions other than those specifically shown and described, it is desired that the disclosure herewith shall be considered as illustrative and not in the limiting sense.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through one form of mold embodying the present invention Figure 2 is a transverse section taken on line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 illustrates a transverse section through a slightly different embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 4 is a plan view of one form of mold body such as is disclosed in Figures 1 and 2;

Figure 5 is a plan view of one of the partition members illustrated in Figures 1 and 2.

Heretofore in the art it has been customary to cast steel ingots in a single ingot mold and to arrange each ingot mold on the base or stool adjacent the first mentioned ingot mold whereby a ladle was carried from one mold to another and the molds were each filled consecutively. Such constructions and arrangements utilize relatively large floor space areas and require relatively longer travels for the cranes carrying the ladles. Furthermore, where ingots were cast in unit horizontal molds formed of multiple of parts, it is necessary to assemble and dis assemble a plurality of pieces for each casting operation, which not only increases labor of handling the set ups, but requires large floor space. Furthermore, each ingot heretofore cast has necessitated a separate runner and riser which must be brol'eii away as scrap, and it is desirable that the sera p be maintained to the lowest minimum to obtain economical results in the casting of the ingots. Also the prior methods and devices have required separate fountains for each ingot and have made it necessary to clamp a cover in position. on each ingot mold set up. if

The present invention overcomes the difficulties of the known art by providing an arrangement and constructions whereby plurality of horizontal molds may be stacked one over another in such manner that a single riser connected with a single fountain may supply a plurality of molds, thereby reducing the number of these parts as well as reducing the scrap. Likewise a single riser may be utilized to carry away the gases from the entire stack. By this stacking method the weight of the parts is sui"- cient to hold the mold elements securely together without clamping, except where two piece molds are used, itmay be necesto clamp the top cover in position. Where single piece molds areused no clamping operation is necessary since the weight of the mold is sufiicientto hold all the units in position. this construction it will he noted that the top of one mold becomes the bottom of the next mold higher and in this way a minimum number of parts perform the function of multiple parts that would be necessary where molds are arranged as separate individual units on the casting floor. Also the floor space occupied by the stack in accordance with the present invention, is an amount equal to the floor space occupied by a single mold of the prior art therefore floor space is greatly conserved by the present method and devices. Furthermore in view of the fact that a plurality of molds are filled from a single fountain, the movements of the ladle crane are also lessened since one movement is sufficient to fill a plurality of molds. Since a large amount of metal is poured as one continuous operation from the ladle, there is less tendency of the metal in the ladle segregating, as the pouring keeps the metal in motion and there are lesser periods when the ladle is moving from one pouring station to another.

Since the chill molds are arranged in a vertical stack the side portions of the molds comprise surfaces which are more effective in radiating the heat than are the parti tions extending between the several molds.

This causes the molten steel in the mold units to tend to cool or chill more rapidly at the sides than on the top and bottom. The differential cooling tends to establish convect-ional currents in the steel which. tends to maintain the ingredients of the steel in motion and thereby obviates segregation.

Since the molds are supplied by a single runner comprising a vertical runner stream, it will be noted that the several molds are simultaneously being supplied with molten steel. The ferrosta-tic forces in the column causes the steel to issue more rapidly from the lowermost openings until the lowermost matrix portion is filled, at which time the next higher mold will receive a larger pro portion of molten steel and so on until the uppermost mold is filled. This condition facilitates the gradual heating of molds and obviates destruction of the mold parts due lil) to rapid or unequal heating and at the same time facilitates the escape of mold gases from the molds.

Preferably the escape from the mold gases comprises a vertical conduit suitably connected with the matrix portions and in one form this may comprise a fire-clay runner having openings leading to the uppermostportions of the mold matrices. As the lower moldtends to fill first and as thehot mold gases are being driven out of the lower mold by 'ferrostatic pressure, these gases rush upwardly through thegas outlet and in passing the outlets from the higher mold matrices, a suction or aspirating effect is produced. This tends to draw mold gases from the higher molds in the stack so that there is no tendency for air bubbles to be entrapped in the steel that is being poured into these molds. Furthermore, the vertical length of the gas outlet column produces a chimney effect which tends to cause the gases to be lifted from the lower mold more rapidly than where a short runner column is provided.

,As illustrative of one embodiment of the present invention attention is called to Figures 1, 2, 4 and 5, wherein is disclosed a multi-ingot mold structure comprising body portions 1 in the form of open shells having a channel '2 at one end thereof to accommodate a runner 3 comprising a tile of fire-clay or the like. The opposite ends of the body portions may also be provided with channels 4 for the riser 5. These body portions preferably are provided with hubs 6 and 7 adapted for crane hubs and preferably these hubs are arranged on the end of the body portions. Each body portion preferably is identical with each other body portion and the ends, both as to the exterior and the matrix portion of the body portions are symmetrical so that there is no necessity for observing any particular arrangement of the ends when the moldsare set up. Par tition or cover members 8 may be provided for each body portion so that there are an equal number of covers and body portions. These covers preferably are formed symmetrical and with openings9 and 10 therein at each end thereof, one opening. being adapted for the reception of the riser and the other opening being adapted for the reception of the runner. Crane hubs 10 and 11 are also provided on the cover members and preferably are off-set from the center line thereof so that the hubs on the cover portions and on the body portions will not be in the same vertical plane. This permits the crane to be operated to lift a body portion and the cover portion as a unit if desired, or to .lift either of the members separately. In setting up molds in accordance with the present invention the molds are set preferably upon a suitable bottom plate or stool i l and the molds are arranged in vertical stacks. The runners and risers preferably comprise unitary sections 15 and 16 of a length equivalent to the distance from the bottomv of the matrix portion of a mold to the upper surface of the cover for that particular mold. This facilitates the stacking as many mold sections asmay be desired in one vertical stack. a

When the final mold section is placed in position a suitable fountain 17 is set over the runner and by means of this single fountain all. of the molds in the particular stack are adapted to be filled. The runner sections are each provided with inlet openings 18 adjacent the lower portion of the particular matrix in which the runner section is set and the end of the lowest runner section may be filled with luting clay or the like19 to prevent hot metal from cutting the bottom plate. The riser sections are provided with openingsQO which preferably are arranged to open into the upper portion of the matrix section with which the riser section connects, to permit the draining of moldgases from each particular section or space in the lowest riser of the row. This arrangement produces a suction effect due to the chimney action and to the aspirating action of the hot gases flowing upward in the riser. The opening 20 in'the lowermost riser section is also filled with clay or luting 21 beneath the lower opening in order to prevent loss of metal'by scrap. The sides of the body portion and the cover may be provided with clamp lugs 22 and 24 and if desired clamps 25 may be utilized on the clamp lugs. In practice it'is found that the weight of the molds is sufficient to maintain the parts properly assembled and no clamps are necessary except to clamp the'top cover in position. The provision of the lugs on the body portions and the top, however,is convenient because in the assembling of the mold bodies any individual mold body or any particular cover may be utilized 'as the top-most members with the assurance that clamp lugs will be available to clamp the top parts together.

Figure 3 illustrates a slightly different embodiment of the invention, and in this embodiment of the invention body portions 26 are trough-like in form and are adapted to be inverted so that the top 27 of one mold becomes the bottom of the next higher mold. The runner and riser column are preferably arranged at the end'of the mold section and pass through suitable openings provided in the top wall 27 of each mold section or unit. In this form the runner end is like wise provided with fountain 17 and the ends 20f the bodies of the molds are provided with crane hubs of the same character and form as in the other previously described embodiment.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the present invei ion provides for ll compactness in equipment on the casting floor so that relatively small floor space is utilized to obtain a. relative large production. as well as provides for automatically clearing the molds of mold gases and also prevents segregation.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. The method of casting steel ingots and the like which comprises superimposing 'a plurality of ingot molds one directly over another in a si le stack and simultaneously supplying all of said ingot molds with molten steel from single source of supply.

2. The method. of casting steel ingots and the like which comprises superimposing a plurality of ingot molds one directly over an other in a single stack and simultaneously supplying all. of said ingot molds with molten steel. from a single source of supply in such manner as to cause the lowermost molds to fill first.

3. The method of casting horizontal ingots and the like which comprises arrang ing a plurality of ingot molds in a single vertical stack and continuously supplying said molds with molten steel from a single vertical runner.

l. The method of casting horizontal ingots and the like which comprises arranging a plurality of ingot molds in a single vertical stack and continuously supplying said molds with molten steel from a single vertical. run-- ner extending through the molds.

5. The method. of casting horizontalingots and the like which comprises arranging a plurality of ingot molds in a single vertical stack and continuously supplying said molds with molten steel from a single vertical runner extending through the molds and provided with a plurality of openings one leading into each mold matrix adjacent the bottom thereof.

6. The method of molding horizontal steel ingots and the like which comprises arranging a plurality of ingot molds in a vertical stack, providing a common free gas outlet for all of said molds, and continuously supplying all of said molds with molten steel from a single runner stream.

7. The method. of molding horizontal steel ingots and the like which comprises arranging a plurality of ingot molds in a vertical stack. providing a common free vertical gas outlet for all of said molds whereby the mold gases in rising through the outlet produce a suction effect to withdraw air from the mold and simultaneously supplying all of the said molds with molten steel from a single runner stream.

8. The method of casting steel ingots and the like which comprises providing a plurality of molds arranged in a single vertical stack in such manner that the principal radiating surfaces are adjacent the sides of the ingots to be formed while keeping at least the top or bottom hot, thereby causing convection currents within the mo.ten steel in each mold to prevent segregation.

10. The method of casting steel ingots and the like which comprises providing a plurality of molds arranged in a single vertical stack. in such manner that the principal radiating surfaces are adjacent the sides of the ingots to he formed while keeping at least the top or bottom hot, simultaneously introducing the molten steel into one end oi. each mold matrix.

11. The method of casting steel ingots or the like which comprises arranging molds with the matrix portions adjacent and having partitions between the matrix portions with the sides of the molds adapted to comprise the principal radiating surfaces, then supplying the molds with molten steel and permitting the steel to solidify from the side portions inwardly, thereby causing convectional currents which tend to prevent segregation.

12. The method of casting steel ingots or the like which comprises arranging molds with the matrix portions adjacent and having partitions between the matrix portions with the sides of the molds adapted to comprise the principal radiating surfaces, then supplying the molds with molten steel by introducing molten steel at one end thereof and permitting the steel to solidify from the side portions inwardly. thereby causing convectional currents which tend to prevent seg regation. 7

13. The method of casting steel ingots and the like which comprises superimposing a plurality of ingot molds to form a vertical stack, supplying the molds with molten steel through a single runner column, cooling the sides of the ingots more rapidly than the tops and bottoms thereof, thereby preventing segregation, and permitting mold gases to escape from each matrix portion adjacent the upper partthereof.

i l. The method of casting steel ingots and the like which comprises superimposing a plurality of ingot molds to form a vertical stack, supplying the molds with molten steel through a single runner column, cooling the sides of the ingots more rapidly than the tops and bottoms thereof, thereby preventing segregation, and drawing mold gases lll) from each matrix portion adjacent the upper part thereof while the mold is filling.

15. The method of casting a plurality of ingots in series which comprises supplying the molds from a single runner column in such manner as to cause the lowermost ingot to be formed first, and permitting the free escape of mold gases from the upper part of the matrix of each mold during the pouring operation.

16. The method'of casting a plurality of ingots in series which comprises supplying the molds from a single runner column in such manner as to cause the lowermost ingot to be formed first, permitting the free escape of mold gases from the upper part of the matrix of each mold during the pouring operation while causing the mold gases from lower molds to draw out mold gases from upper molds.

17. The method of casting steel ingots or the like which comprises simultaneously pouring steel into a plurality of ingot molds arranged in a vertical series, causing the lowermost mold to fill and causing the filling operation to progress upwardly as the steel is being poured until the mold at the top of the stack is last to fill, while permitting mold gases to freely escape from the upper part of each matrix portion during the pouring operation.

18. The method of casting steel ingots or the like which comprises simultaneously pouring steel into a plurality of ingot molds arranged in a vertical series, causing the lowermost mold to fill first and causing the filling operation to progress upwardly as the steel is being poured until the mold at the top of the stack is last to fill, permitting molcl gases to escape from the upper part of each matrix portion during the pouring operation and causing the stack to cool from the sides thereof.

19. The method of simultaneously pouring a plurality of steel ingots, and causing the mold gases from the molds first to be filled to pass the gas outlets from other molds and to draw gases from other molds so that mold gases are automatically removed during the pouring operation.

20. The method of casting steel ingots which comprises arranging a plurality of molds in a vertical series, simultaneously pouring a plurality of steel ingots, and cansing the mold gases from the molds first to be filled to rise vertically and pass the gas outlets from other molds and to draw gases from other molds so that mold gases are automatically removed during the pouring operation.

21. The method of casting steel ingots or the like comprising arranging molds in a vertical stack, providing a common vertical runner for filling all of said molds and to direct molten steel into each mold adjacent the bottom thereof, providing a common vertical gas outlet from all of said molds, and causing the rising gas from the lower most molds to produce an aspirating etfect which withdraws mold gases from the top of the upper molds.

22. The method of casting steel ingotsor.

one mold comprising the bottom wall of the next adjacent mold, a channel through allof said molds, a runner extending throughisaid channel and being provided with openings leading into the matrix portion "of said molds whereby said molds may be timer taneously supplied with molten steel a single source of supply. 7

24. A multi-part mold for steel ingots and the like comprising a base plate, a plurality of ingot molds stacked in. a vertical stack upon said base plate, with the top wall 'fo f one mold comprising the bottom wall ofthe next adjacent mold, a channel through all of said molds, a runner extending through said channel and being provided with open ings leading into the matrix portion of said molds whereby said molds may be simi l taneously supplied with molten steel from a single source .of supply saiol runner comprising sections having length equal to the height of the molds. J

25. A multi-'ngot mold for casting steel ingots or the like comprising a plurality of molds arranged in a vertical stack, each of said molds being identical individual units whereby any one mold may be arranged at any place in said series, all of said molds being provided with a channel adjacent the matrix portion of the mold, a runner extending through said molds at one end thereof, and common gas outlet means for all of said molds whereby mold gases may be driven from said mold during the molding operation.

26. A multi-ingot mold for casting steel ingots or the like comprising a plurality of molds arranged in a vertical stack, each.

of said molds being identical individual units whereby any one mold may be arranged at any place in said series, all of said molds being provided with a channel adjacent the matrix portion of the mold, a runner extending through said molds at one end thereof, the runner for each mold comprising a separate section, and common gas outlet means for all of said molds whereby mold gases may be driven from said mold during the molding operation.

27. A multi-ingot mold for casting steel ingots or the like comprising a plurality of molds arranged in a vertical stack, each of said molds being identical individual units whereby any one mold may be arranged at any place in said series, all of said molds being provided with a channel adjacent the matrix portion of the mold, a runner ext/ending through said molds at one end thereof, the runner for each mold comprising a separate section, all the sections being connected to comprise a continuous vertical runner, and common gas outlet means for all of said molds whereby mold gases may be driven from said mold during the molding operation.

28. A multi-ingot mold for casting steel ingots or the like comprising a plurality of identical ingot molds arranged in a vertical series, means to guide molten steel into said molds, means to permit escape of mold gases from said molds, said last mentioned means being arranged in such manner that mold gases from certain of said molds produces an aspirating eii'ect thereby withdrawing the mold gases from others or said molds.

29. A multi-ingot mold for casting steel ingots or the like comprising a plurality of identical ingot chill molds arranged in a vertical series, means to guide molten steel into said molds, means to permit escape oi mold gases from said molds, said last mentioned means being arranged as a vertical chimney in such manner that mold gases from certain of said molds produces an 'aspirating efiect thereby withdrawing the mold gases from other of said molds.

rsiasie 30. An apparatus for casting horizontal steel ingots comprising a plurality of ingot molds arranged in series, means to iacili tate filling said molds with molten steel and to heat certain molds of the series while other molds of the series are filling, and a gas escape conduit connected with said molds and provided with openings leading to the matrix portions oi said molds in such mannor that the gases rising from certain of said molds tend to withdraw gases from other of said molds.

31. In the method of casting molten metal in a series of superposed substantially horizontal molds having a common runner leading to and a free gas outlet leading from all of said molds, the step of successively filling the molds with molten metal to cause the gases expelled from the subjacent molds to withdraw gases from the upper molds through said gas outlet.

32. An ingot casting apparatus comprising in combination, a plurality of superposed substantially horizontal molds provided with inlet passages for the introduction of molten material into the matrices of said molds, and a common gas escape conduit having openings through which each of the matrices discharges gas into said conduit.

33. The method of removing gases from the matrices of a plurality of superposed. molds which comprises confining gas discharged from a lower matrix to form a stream, and causing the stream to produce a suction effect to withdraw gas from an upper matrix.

EDWARD H. WILLIAMS. 

